


Order and Chaos

by TheLegendofStella



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997)
Genre: A friend summarized chap 2 before I even wrote it as: 2 demons try to father a human, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, And by tags to be added I mean tags in ALL categories, Angst, Blood, Canon-Typical Violence, Chaos has a personality, Chaos is sentient, Follows original canon not Remake for obvious reasons, Gen, Humor, I mean when you have a pseudo-WEAPON OC hanging around you know things are gonna diverge, I was very tired when I did the first set of tags so like rip, Not Final Fantasy VII Remake Compliant, Protomateria as a character is so revolutionary there's not even a tag for it, Slight tweaks of original canon for consistency, So... whoops Vin has demon parents now I guess, Tags to be added as it's updated, The Protomateria has a personality, Tiny Bronco, Vincent is emo and stubborn but what else is new, Violence, What if the Protomateria was sentient, Work In Progress, that's it that's the fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:33:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24565435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLegendofStella/pseuds/TheLegendofStella
Summary: Chaos was not the only primordial entity created by the Planet at its conception. There is another that sits in the shadows and watches over the Planet in Minerva's stead, unmoved by time. Lost Cetra scriptures say that it is the ultimate judge of lifeforms, both the ultimate mercy and the ultimate judgement, and that its power is unrivaled except by the mightiest of WEAPONs. If the apocalypse were to come, this being would be the one to sound the call, to awaken Omega and call Chaos to arms as the reaper of souls.The Cetra, in their infinite wisdom, called it Order.11/19/2020: On indefinite hiatus until further notice :(
Relationships: Chaos & Original Character(s), Chaos & Original Non-Human Character(s), Chaos & Vincent Valentine, Lucrecia Crescent/Vincent Valentine, Vincent Valentine & Original Character(s), Vincent Valentine & Original Non-Human Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	1. In the Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> So... this is an idea. One that I like very much, I have to say. I'm a huge sucker for OC stories at the moment-- I think it derived from my love of self-insert stories, but without all the "Oh I know everything in the plot of the game and I have to figure out a good reason why I can't just tell people that" problems. I also have a soft spot for OCs that I can play around with in terms of power levels... and maybe I also like picking on Vincent a little. He has one demon-like thing stuck in him? Cool, let's shove another one in there! :D
> 
> I'm not sure how many chapters this will be tbh, I just wanted to get this out here while I was inspired for it. I've never really done a multi-chap fic before, just one-shots, so... I hope this goes well and that I finish it at some point hfjsdgfysg-

It used to be a part of the Planet, once. Everything that existed did. The Planet drew the Holy Minerva into being as its avatar, and in turn It was created. It was merely a lesser reflection of the Holy Minerva's power, condensed into the first materia to withstand the test of time. Omega was spawned alongside It, the first of its kind and the most devastating of failsafes, and its very presence corrupted some of the Planet's Lifestream, giving rise to He, Omega's Squire. It Itself was made of purified Lifestream, and thus balanced both He and Omega, preventing the Planet's demise. Thus fortified, It was appointed to judge while the Holy Minerva and the Planet slept, watching over the lifeforms that lived and breathed and died upon the Planet's enriching soil.

Those that called themselves the Cetra eventually came upon Its presence, and honored It for Its prowess and gentleness. They wrote of It in their scripture, communed with It in rituals, humbly gained knowledge from It. They called It 'Order' after their concept of laws and cycles, and Omega's Squire 'Chaos,' something which amused It to no end. It made sure to teach them of Omega's coming, of His Reaping, of Its overarching purpose, serving as a warning to the Planet's chosen. The Cetra made it their duty to heal and cultivate the Planet, and Its existence was peaceful for a time.

The Reaping began to loom near when the Calamity fell. The alien lifeform's slaughter of the Cetra roused the Planet to rage, forming lesser WEAPONs to destroy it. It- Order- was not sent to act, to judge, so It merely watched as the remaining Cetra sealed away the Calamity and the Planet fell to slumber once again, its WEAPONs settling deep beneath the earth. It watched as a new lifeform, the humans, slowly began to dominate the earth, driving the Cetra and their valuable scriptures to extinction. It watched as the humans achieved what the Cetra could not: build a technologically-advanced civilization that would last lifetimes, using the power of the Lifestream which they called 'Mako.' The humans were foolish and ignorant, unheeding of Its warnings as they did not have the Cetra's gift, and their greed quickly spiraled out of control. It began to ready itself for an eventual Reaping.

The first sign of direct meddling came when Its, and more importantly Chaos', resting place was breached.

"Is this... Is this the place you spoke of?"

Order roused from Its half-slumber, displeased at the presence of humans once more. _Who dares disturb Our domain?_

The humans did not acknowledge It. A disappointment, as usual. "Yes," The male one responded, the calm to the female's eagerness. "Deep within this grotto is where Chaos is destined to awake."

Order narrowed its ephemeral gaze. Grimoire Valentine and Lucrecia Crescent, their souls read. Scientists. Researchers of the scriptures the Cetra had left behind on Omega. The writings must have fragmented somewhere down the line, since otherwise they would be far more reverent concerning Its presence. They had innocent intentions all the same, but...

The woman's lifestream vibrated with excitement, and she rushed closer to Its crystal like a child, wonderous and beautiful. It softened. It would not harm someone so innocent as this. "Come on, Dr. Valentine!"

'Dr. Valentine' chuckled, slowly following behind her. "The fountain isn't going anywhere."

The two humans examined Its domain in detail, discussing fervent and wild theories about It and Its kin. It couldn't help but feel frustrated at being unseen, yet amused at their curiosity and drive for research. Order eventually allowed its physical body, the Protomateria, to be extracted, in order to aid these poor humans into enlightenment... and to better observe their laboratories. Chaos was in deep slumber, soothed by even Its most distant presence, and therefore would not be a threat.

Until the humans extracted some of the tainted Lifestream that held Chaos' presence, and confined Him into an ill-fitting box. Chaos loathed to be disturbed more so than Itself, and there was only so much It could do before Chaos lashed out in punishment.

_Foolish humans_ , It sighed as It watched Grimoire Valentine shield Lucrecia Crescent from Chaos' outburst, tainting himself in blackened Lifestream. The man quickly degenerated, leaving Lucrecia Crescent in tears and hysteria over her mistakes, desperately trying to keep him in the land of the living. It felt no sorrow of Its own, only impassive disappointment. Truly, humans were foolish even about death-- it was part of the natural cycle, giving back to the Planet what was rightfully its own lifeblood.

As Grimoire Valentine's lifestream faded away, he finally caught sight of Its presence, his remaining essence spiking in surprise. _You are...?_

_Fool human_ , It spoke fondly, an echo of the Holy Minerva's compassion, _You should have honored Chaos, and listened to Our words. Return to the Lifestream whence you came._

The man returned to the Planet dutifully, and Order was left with Lucrecia Crescent in an empty room, wrecked with grief. _Fool human_ , It cooed to an empty audience, feeling Chaos stir with irritation at the woman's loud sobs. _You should have listened._ But she did not hear a word, and It watched as her soul fractured and became leathery with guilt. Fool human, indeed.

Time passed. It and Chaos were sealed away, the research done on them deemed unwanted after the 'accident.' Lucrecia Crescent ignored their existence, wishing to forget, and whatever fondness It may have had for her vanished-- It did not like those that became ignorant to themselves willingly. For a time It slumbered, having nothing better to do now that Its attention was not occupied. When Lucrecia Crescent and a new scientist, Edward Hojo, brought in remnants of the Calamity and began to experiment with them, It simply sighed, cursing humans for their unholy follies and their egregious mistakes. If only the Cetra had not been persecuted by the Calamity! Perhaps then these humans would be wiser and less prone to such foolishness.

It watched, as much as It could, as another man became involved with Lucrecia Crescent, one Vincent Valentine. It watched as Lucrecia Crescent despaired, fell in love, and then despaired further as her past sins ate at her, driving her away from lucidity. It watched with thinly-veiled disgust as Edward Hojo shot and mutilated Vincent Valentine for daring to speak out against him, turning him into monstrous forms for his own amusement. The Planet did not create Edward Hojo for him to desecrate his fellow human, and Order would make sure that his passing would be painful and cruel as punishment.

One day, Lucrecia Crescent brought It and Chaos out of their hiding place, her eyes wild and desperate. "I have to save him," She whispered, pulling Chaos' container out and disturbing Him from his rest.

_What are you doing?_ It demanded, wary of her intentions. Chaos snarled and snapped, His tainted Lifestream sloshing around as Lucrecia Crescent carried Him to an operating table. It saw Vincent Valentine's decaying body laying on top of it, his lifestream hanging on the verge between life and death, and It immediately knew what the woman was trying to do. _Fool woman! Did you not learn from your past?! It is folly to entrap Him without His consent!_

It could do nothing but watch unheard as Lucrecia Crescent injected Vincent Valentine with Chaos' essence, burning away what little purity the comatose man had. Vincent Valentine only survived the subsequent transformation due to his brutal enhancements, taking on a shadow of Chaos' true form. Chaos was far from pleased, realising that He could not burn away such an inferior shell, and roared with rage.

"N- No! Stop! _Stop!_ " Lucrecia Crescent screamed, backing away as Chaos lashed out to attack. Order snarled in return, Its materia body flashing with power. _Cease!_

Chaos ceased, growing still with Its calming influence, and the body of Vincent Valentine collapsed onto the floor. It sighed, glowing passively. _Fool woman. You should be lucky We did not let Him punish you._

The female scientist took a few calming breaths, looking upon the dormant body of Chaos for a long time before turning to It with fascination and hope. "The materia..." The gears in her brain turned as she looked at Vincent Valentine again, who was now morphing back to his regular shape... and then she picked It up, smiling. "I can use the materia."

_What are you... No._ Lucrecia Crescent walked to Vincent Valentine's side, pushing him onto his back and divesting him of his shirts. _No!_ She picked up a scalpel and dug into Vincent Valentine's chest, opening up a cavity within with the help of Chaos' tainted Lifestream. _You cannot be serious! Have you lost your mind?!_ It would not be subjugated to this! Shoving Chaos into a human shell was one thing; Chaos was liquid Lifestream, malleable and intangible in most circumstances, able to mold and adapt to (or destroy) any sort of vessel He happened to find Himself in. But to shove _Order_ into _the same body_ was blasphemy! Order was an entirely separate entity, physical and real, the first materia to ever exist! If Vincent Valentine were to survive this disasterous collide- if he was truly able to contain Its power- then he would be condemned to a life of immortality, unable to live yet unable to die. It was an insult against the Planet, against the Holy Minerva, and anything that was an insult against the Holy Minerva was an insult against Order!

Just as It began to draw up Its power, though, It was put inside Vincent Valentine, the man's blackened blood making It recoil in Its new bonds. No! How dare that woman do this to It! It struggled to lash out, trying to latch back onto Lucrecia Crescent's hands, but Its power was already occupied in keeping Chaos sedated, and the woman sewed and healed the cavity back up before Order could do anything about it. Damn humans! They were inconveniently slow when you wanted them to be fast, and inconveniently fast when you wanted them to be slow! And now...

The body that It now laid in slowly began to accept Its materia body, the flesh and nerves fusing around it with the help of healing magic. With growing indignation, It slowly began to feel Vincent Valentine's body as if it were Its own, the nerves and muscle tissue eventually responding to Its lifeforce like It belonged. In the murky blackness, It could feel Vincent Valentine's consciousness underneath the presence of three monstrous entities, barely alive thanks to the influence of Chaos and now Itself. No! This was wrong, this was insolent! It would not accept this!

For the first time since It came into being, Order rose to anger, howling with rage and surging up in Its new body in order to strike Lucrecia Crescent down. The woman screamed again, eyes wide with fear as she stared at the face of Its divine wrath. It pulled Its power together to manifest into judgement-

Vincent Valentine's body collapsed under the strain just as Chaos snapped at It, making It fall to the floor with a pathetic lack of grace. Though the man's body was strong enough to contain two beings of the Planet and then some, it was drained of energy, muscles atrophied and bones severely malnourished. Lifestream baths and healing materia patched together the scars of surgery and experimentation, but their lacerations still took a toll and weakened the foundations. Order growled, ire cooling reluctantly at the onset of foreign sensations to It-- exhaustion and pain, this body's instincts told It. Chaos grumbled in turn, equally as frustrated, but unwilling to put up with bloodshed at the moment thanks to the damaged body. It sighed bitterly and gave Lucrecia Crescent one last heated glare before slipping out of control, returning Vincent Valentine to his original state once more.

It took visceral pleasure in feeling Lucrecia Crescent taking longer to recover her senses, even more so when It felt her shaky hands pick up Its new body and replace it onto the operating table. "Chaos..." The woman murmured with fear, but then her hands gripped at the body with an inner resolve, her gaze changing slightly. "You won't control him like that ever again. ... Oh, Vincent... I... I-I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I had to save you. I _had_ to."

Order sneered as Chaos settled down with a chuckle. _Fool woman,_ It muttered half-heartedly, _believe what you wish. He holds no candle to Us._

It slept, letting Its new body- Its new vessel of power- heal and recover its original mind. It would deal with the repercussions of this arrangement later.


	2. The Vessel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Order becomes acquainted with Its new vessel, despite Its misgivings. Still, it would have been so much easier if said vessel hadn't wasted thirty years moping about in a dark, dusty coffin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 is here, yay! Order as a character is very fun to write, even if Its whole royal We thing is very tedious to go back and double-check fhjsdfgysgj-
> 
> This came out slightly more humorous than I intended... but the situation IS kind of ridiculous, especially when you're an immortal, non-human being that does not understand the twisted nuances of human guilt. It's trying, though-

It awoke to screaming.

 _What is going on?_ Order snapped, irritated at Its recovering sleep being breached.

 _ **It appears that our Host has awoken.**_ Chaos replied.

Ah. That would explain it. It faintly felt how Its new vessel was hunched over and in the middle of an agonizing scream, oozing grief and guilt. It sighed, easily pulling back the monsters that were running amok in response to all the panic. _Cease, lowly beasts. Do not endanger your Host._

Once they were suitably calmed, It rose further up to greet the main, original presence of the body-- Vincent Valentine in the flesh, as the saying went. It was buffeted by wild thoughts, thoughts that yelled and panicked and screeched unholy hell, and It grimaced. _Host! Calm yourself!_ It went unheard under all the mental noise, and It was forced to restrain the vessel with Its own power, sedating the thoughts and the screams. It held Its Host for a few moments to make sure that his mind was cleared, and then released Its hold. _Are you civilized now, Host?_

Vincent Valentine shuddered at the powerful voice in his mind, indicating that he had heard It. Good. The man picked himself up on shaky limbs, stumbling over his own gangliness, and looked upon himself with wide, sorrowful eyes. "What... this... t-this body... Is this... a nightmare...?"

 _That would be infinitely preferable to reality, Host._ Order grunted, Its materia body pulsing lightly as It helped stabilize Its vessel.

He shook his head in denial, skin sweating cold as things started to sink in. It made It feel vaguely sick. "No... I... _Lucrecia_...!" He sobbed quietly, the sounds echoing in the small laboratory room. It did not like how It could feel the human's heartbreak as if it were Its own... especially over that fool woman. "Lucrecia... I'm sorry. I wasn't able to stop them... All I could do was watch..."

It growled. _Foolish Host. It was their decisions that drove them to ruin, not yours._

Vincent Valentine- It should shorten his name to Vincent if It was going to be stuck with him for Planet knows how long- shook his head again more violently, as if trying to shake Its presence out of him. It sympathized, to an extent. "No! I failed her! I loved her, and I failed her..."

As he dissolved into sobs once more, It took the time to examine Its vessel. The body was healed, yes, but still deprived of true strength. It could take over the body if It needed to, but It wouldn't get far as It was not used to it, and the amount of energy it would take to undergo a proper transformation would be... detrimental. It would have to rely on Its new Host to get them anywhere for now. Revolting, but doable. Order also noticed that the vessel was garbed in entirely new clothing from before: a black bodysuit, strapped with numerous belts, that was covered by a large red cloak ensemble, accented by golden sabatons and an equally golden metal arm. The left arm... yes, that arm was the more mutilated of the two, if It remembered correctly. Someone took the time and effort to redress Vincent in these clothes... And It doubted it was someone who lacked care like Edward Hojo.

It waited in silence for Vincent to quiet down, knowing that It needed to be patient. Humans and their Cetra forebearers were prone to emotional outbursts that sometimes took rather long to quell, even with Its unique calming spells. And considering that this particular human went through what It assumed was something rather 'traumatic'... It needed to be kind to him, or otherwise It would never get anywhere. It need not be reminded of the last time It had to deal with something similar to this, and how badly that turned out.

Finally, Vincent's thoughts settled. He sat there unmoving for several long moments, staring at the floor blankly for so long that it roused Its wariness. _Host?_

His eyes squeezed shut. "I... I must atone for my sins," He whispered, snapping his eyes back open with feverish guilt.

 _You are speaking in riddles, Host._ It growled again, ignoring the way It could feel Chaos smirking in the background. _We understand you are devastated, but that is no excuse for moping about when we must go and- What are you doing._

Vincent had begun walking- stumbling, really- out of the laboratory, using a nearby wall to prop himself up when necessary. Order immediately reached out to give him strength, acutely feeling his weakness as if it were Its own. It might as well have been Its own, since now the man was Its vessel. It watched in silence as Vincent made his way to the fork in the hallway, extending Its senses to outside the body to look for any threats... but instead of continuing towards the stairs that presumably led to somewhere outside, he turned towards the storage room off to the side, pushing the door open with a stiff grunt.

It pulled back with a scowl, making Vincent fall to his knees. _That is not the way to the stairs, Host._

He shook his head, baring his teeth in defiance as he picked himself up with great difficulty. "Stop speaking to me... you're not _real_!"

It scowled further. _We are real, and you are being obstinate. Go towards the stairs._

"No. I must... I must sleep. I must _repent_."

_WHAT?!_

Chaos began to chuckle at Its indignance. It simply growled, and attempted to pull Vincent back in the direction of the stairs. _That is the most idiotic thing We have heard come from your mouth, Host. You do not repent by sleeping! That is inconducive to forgiveness and redemption even by Our standards-_

Vincent wrenched himself out of Its hold as if it were paper, grabbing the lid of one of the... _coffins_ in the room and shoving it off of its box. In Its outrage, It ended up allowing him to slip in and pull the coffin lid back over, settling into the chilled velvet of its confines.

It snarled out an ancient Cetran swear. _Host, you will get out of this coffin this instant or so the Holy Minerva help Us!_

"Let me _sleep_ , foul demon!" He snapped back with no small amount of violence, slamming his eyes shut in an attempt to ignore Chaos' now deafening laughter.

Order, on the other hand, was far from amused. _We are not a demon, you fool human! What kind of- Was your fleshy brain matter melted and lobotomized during your tortures?! Are all you humans naturally idiotic enough to think that- DO NOT_ DARE _FALL ASLEEP ON US! WE ARE NOT DONE WITH YOU!_

Its angry efforts were in vain, though, as Vincent promptly fell back into a sleep state. Again. It fumed to the tune of Chaos' taunting chortles, unable to do anything about it unless It wanted to undo all the healing their collective body had accumulated so far. This was truly and utterly ridiculous-- what sort of human would want to shut themselves away in a coffin?! The circumstance was one beyond Vincent's control, why on earth was he trying to take the blame for it?! Nonsense! Pure nonsense!

It sat in reluctant silence, watching how the beasts steadily fell into sleep alongside their new master, and then sunk back down to where Chaos lay. _How are you not enraged at this series of events, Squire?_

Chaos grinned, sharp and threatening. _**It's amusing seeing you try to wrangle a human and fail at it,**_ **Order** _ **.**_

It flicked a warning strike in Chaos' direction with narrowed eyes. _Behave, you miscreant._

 _ **I am being 'behaved'. I'm simply stating fact.**_ He stayed silent for a few moments, humor diminishing as time went on, and then hummed quietly. _**What entity would not be enraged at being trapped in a lowly vessel such as this? Strong as he may be, he is not meant to contain either of us, let alone both. But...**_ He paused, prying through their Host's unconcscious mind for something. _**Ah, yes. "It could be worse," the saying goes.**_

It snorted. _You, Squire, using human figures of speech? This world must be going mad._

 _ **If we are going to be stuck inside a human vessel for Planet knows how long, then I may as well start familiarizing myself with that sort of language!**_ He growled out in a tone that sounded like denial. _**I still do not like it.**_

 _Of course you do not._ It simply replied smugly. Chaos had a point, though. The Host could have been permanently comatose, leaving them stuck with a limited body that would barely rot for centuries, if not thousands of years. They could have been shoved into an unintelligent animal for a host, or a rampaging monster with no logical thought. The worst case scenario would have been some idiot human attempting to destroy the Protomateria, or even erase Chaos' tainted Lifestream from existence. Both impossible endeavors, rest assured, but it still would have caused more trouble than either of them would have wanted to deal with.

It sighed. _Well. We suppose it does not matter what either of us thinks now. It is done, and now we are here. Another rest is not a bad idea, to be honest._

 _**Oh? Is the great, omnipresent Order getting** _ **old** _ **?** _

_Miscreant!_

Chaos chuckled, but Order didn't care to listen to anything else He had to say. It would rest and recover, 'old' or not, and then It would get their Host out of this miserable confine. It couldn't be so hard to do, right?

... It turned out to be very hard. Vincent preferred to sleep his soul away, it seemed, and Order was only able to influence the vessel when Vincent was fully awake, which was never. On top of that, the man also seemed to experience constant and brutal nightmares, reliving the experiments and his other regrets over and over again. It was a form of self-flagellation, that much was obvious, and It could not help but worry and feel frustrated. It would not do for their Host to break his mind into pieces, not if It wanted to get out of this infernal basement in the next century!

Eventually, though, It had to admit defeat. Vincent was one of the most stubborn humans It had ever met to date, and did not take kindly to being manhandled whenever his guard was down. One time he even managed to seal Order away into a small, unobtrusive part of his mind, not letting It out until It begrudgingly promised that It would cease trying to meddle with him. It had to admit that It was impressed with his mental strength, but It wasn't fond of the way Chaos gleefully latched onto the incident with great humor. Chaos liked to cause chaos above anything else, to Order's occasional detriment-- and yes, It was aware of the irony in that language.

Ages passed, not quite so long for eternal beings like Order and Chaos, but eventually the first sign of hope came. It had been resting quite deeply then, only barely feeling that the coffin was disturbed and human voices were talking to Its Host. Unfortunately, It could not quite rouse Itself up in time to take advantage of it, and It was faced with the tail end of the coffin once again being closed. _Host, what was that?_

"Visitors," Vincent said, turning onto his right side. The left side was rather uncomfortable to lay on thanks to the gauntlet.

_Other humans? Why did you not leave with them? We could have seen the sun for once!_

"I must stay here and atone."

It groaned, and Chaos finally rose out of His slumber as well. _**What are you groaning about, Order?**_

_Our Host is being obstinate again. Humans came and disturbed him while we slept, and he refused to leave with them._

_**Fool human!**_ Chaos roared, causing Vincent to flinch deeply. As amused as He had been at first, the long wait was taking a toll on His patience, and hearing that His Host had deliberately refused freedom wasn't helping with His ire. _**How long will it take for you to come to your senses and get out of this miserable hovel?! We have been very generous in letting you have your way, you know!**_

Vincent kept silent, taking deep, steady breaths with almost practised ease as he settled in to sleep once more. He was becoming a master at ignoring them when he wished it, something which both amused and irritated It-- most things did concerning Vincent. Chaos was usually jovial enough to let it lie, but occasionally, like now, he was not.

 _ **I will not tolerate you ignoring me this time, Host! We may be unaffected by time, but you are a sentient, intelligent host that is able to move, and I loathe being**_ **stuck** _ **here because of your foolishness! Order is running out of things to entertain ourselves with, and your suffering is becoming less amusing by the day! Do you not have better things to do than**_ **sulk** _**like a petulant child over some fool woman?!** _

Order sighed, flickering Its power warningly. _Be kind to our Host, Chaos. It isn't a surprise that he would tend to ignore you more than Us with that sort of language._

_**His emotions are nonsensical given the situation! I know you think the same, Order, do not deny it.** _

_We are not._ It agreed passively, feeling Vincent listening to them warily. _But he is only a human, and his affections are real even if they may be misplaced._

 **Affections** _ **.**_ Chaos scoffed, rolling eyes that He did not have. _**As if that is any real excuse for anything.**_

 _He will learn soon enough._ It was about to say more, something along the lines of a proper chastisement towards their Host, but then It suddenly heard a distant lock being clicked shut, making It pause. _...What was that?_

"A lock on the door," Vincent mumbled sleepily, unconcerned.

 _Did those humans really just lock you in this deathtrap of a room, Host?!_ ... No answer. It narrowed Its eyes in suspicion. _Host. What did you do._

"... I asked them to lock the room up. I won't get disturbed from my rest again."

Silence.

 _ **YOU**_ **WHAT** _ **?!**_ Chaos was the first to break, shouting even louder than before. Order, for the first time in Its life, was too speechless to gather any words of Its own. _**HOST! OUT OF ALL THE NONSENSICAL**_ **STUPIDITIES** _ **YOU COULD DO- YOU HAVE US ALL TRAPPED HERE BY DOING THAT! HAVE YOU NO REASON IN THAT MIND OF YOURS?!**_

He ranted on, effectively chewing Vincent out for such an _idiotic_ act, while It let the new circumstance sink in. The room that held them all was locked now, and Planet only knew where the key was at this point. Its Host could easily kick the door down if necessary, lock or no, but It doubted It or Chaos could control the body long enough to accomplish that without Vincent retaliating. On the other side, there was not a human with the same enhanced stature as their Host, and even if there were, it was highly unlikely they would come to this exact location and break the door down. A normal human, if they even stumbled into the basement, would try the door, find it locked, and then helplessly shrug and walk away, completely and blissfully unaware of the immortal man who willingly trapped himself inside it. If it was hopeless that anyone would find them before, it was _beyond_ hopeless now.

It took in a deep breath- an audible affectation, not something required- and smiled so sharply that it even caused Chaos to pause. _Vincent Valentine, Our_ dear _Host... when we get ourselves out of this dusty tomb, you shall regret that decision for the rest of your immortal and eternal life, mark Our words._

Vincent stilled, involuntarily seizing up with fear and caution for a moment or two before regaining a handle on himself. Good. Vincent Valentine was not a complete fool, after all.

For a while after that incident, both Vincent and Chaos stepped around Order carefully, which merely amused It after It calmed Itself of Its initial anger. Even the beasts, as primitive as they were, were wary. It took the time to soothe them first, starting with simple Galian Beast, shifty Death Gigas, and then sharp Hellmasker, so as to not harm their collective Host on accident. It would be in bad taste to have them rampaging around and cause an accidental (and painful) transformation of some kind. As for Its Host and Omega's Squire... It would leave them to stew over Its words and figure it out themselves. They were smart enough without help.

At some point, whether It wanted to or not, It became accustomed to the presence of Its Host and the three beasts. It had to admit, it was rather nice having some sort of conversational partner that was not Chaos, even if said conversational partner refused to share more than a few words with It at a time. Whenever It was allowed, It generously soothed the nightmares for a while and talked Chaos around into being kinder to their Host. It would heal Its new vessel whether Vincent liked it or not, and that was that.

Finally, _finally_ , salvation came in the form of human voices just outside the room.

 _Voices! Right outside the door! Tell Us We are not hallucinating out of sheer will,_ Order demanded loudly, pacing around within the consciousness impatiently.

 _ **I hear them too.**_ Chaos said, itching to be free as well. _**If they leave without opening that door, I am going to break something.**_

_Not if We break something first!_

Vincent sighed deeply, trying to press himself further into the velvet as if he wanted to sink into the earth and never return. At least in this occasion it was warranted-- two powerful beings of the Planet pacing around in the back of your head was most likely not a pleasant experience.

The three of them waited, watched, listened for anything else to happen (or nothing else to happen, in Vincent's case)... and then the lock clicked open, accompanied by the creak of the door opening. _Wondrous! We never thought such an abrasive sound could bring about such joy in Us._

The human voices moved closer. "What the... shit, are those _coffins_?"

"Looks like it..." A pair of footsteps echoed on the cobblestone floor towards the coffin Vincent lay in, stopping just at the edge of it. There was silence for a while, punctuated by mutterings from the others, and then one side of the coffin was kicked at with a toe, its strength loosening the dust that had settled into all the cracks.

 _ **Rude.**_ Chaos muttered.

 _Smart._ Order corrected.

Vincent growled, cutting both of them off. "Who dares disturb my sleep!?" He violently shoved the lid of the coffin off, allowing him to sit up and glower at the unwanted- _WANTED!_ Order bellowed- guests.

"W-Whoa!" The first speaker, a large black man with a gun grafted onto his right arm, jumped back at the sight of Vincent. "What the hell?!"

"Barret!" A new voice- a young woman wearing pink and red- admonished with a huff. "That's a person in there, not a monster! Don't shoot him!"

It quickly read the souls of the three that had discovered Vincent's tomb: Cloud Strife, an ex-SOLDIER (an interesting new term for It to learn) whose memory was splintered; Barret Wallace, the leader of AVALANCHE and father to one; and Aerith Gainsborough... a half-Cetra. _Cetra..._ It murmured, curiosity piqued. _It has been far too long since We have seen a Cetra, half-blood or no._

Vincent simply narrowed his eyes at them like he hadn't heard Its words, quickly determining that these people were strangers. "I do not know you. Leave."

"Wait a minute," Cloud Strife cut in, examining the cloaked man briefly. "This room was locked from the outside. How long have you been in here?"

"Not long enough," Vincent replied darkly. He sighed, acknowledging that these three were unlikely to leave him alone, and reluctantly propped his right arm up on his knee to wait out the conversation. "What do you want?"

"Uh..." Barret Wallace scratched the back of his head nervously, feeling unnerved by the sight of glowing red eyes on him. "We were just, uh, lookin' around the place, fightin' monsters... y'know. Figuring out what the hell kinda secrets were in this place."

Vincent gave a grunt of acknowledgement. "You should not poke around where you do not belong. This mansion... is the beginning of a nightmare."

Cloud Strife sighed. "You're right. It is."

"..." Vincent reluctantly turned to the blonde, curiosity winning out against irritation. "You know something?"

"I do." Cloud Strife paused, clearly gathering his words, and then spoke again. "Sephiroth came here five years ago... and found something in this mansion that drove him insane."

"Sephiroth-?!" Vincent's eyes blazed, the lingering embers of his sins stirring at the name. "You know-"

"You know Sephiroth?" Cloud Strife said at the same time, and then blinked in surprise.

 _ **Sephiroth? Hmph.**_ Chaos spoke, keeping the majority of His disdain for the Calamity-infused human out of His words. _**This should be interesting.**_

The ravenette stayed silent for a moment, taking that moment to breathe and cool off from his outburst, and then perched himself on the edge of the open coffin. "You first."

The three humans explained the situation as such: five years ago, First Class SOLDIER Sephiroth, age 23, came to Nibelheim on a mission from the Shinra Electric Power Company with Cloud Strife as his partner. They had been sent there in order to check on the mako reactor built up on Mt. Nibel, but things quickly began to go wrong when Sephiroth discovered makonoids in the reactor's depths. The man had gone into the mansion to find answers, but whatever he found in its libraries drove him to insanity, and he burnt Nibelheim down to the ground. Cloud Strife, his trust in the world's greatest SOLDIER betrayed, stabbed him in retaliation after a struggle and tossed him down into the mako, ending his life... or so it seemed. In the recent year, Sephiroth had apparently risen from the dead, having killed the late President Shinra to announce his return. Cloud Strife and his companions, all six of them, were now traveling the world in order to pursue Sephiroth and strike him down before he killed or hurt anyone else in his search for the Promised Land.

Vincent and the beings within him listened to the tale silently, not reacting to any part of it despite the sensitive subject matter. "So... Sephiroth became aware of his true origins five years ago? And knew about the Jenova project?"

Cloud Strife nodded. "What about you?"

He shook his head, sinking back down into the coffin. "Hearing your story... is yet another sin upon my shoulders. Knowing that my nightmares were not enough to atone... I can hardly bear it."

"The hell you talkin' about?" Barret eloquently demanded.

"Please leave." Vincent coldly dismissed them with those words, dragging the coffin lid back over his prison and plunging himself back into darkness.

 _Thirty years... That is both shorter and longer than We expected,_ It mused thoughtfully. It was still in the middle of assimilating all of the new knowledge It absorbed from Cloud Strife's explanation, which left Chaos to be the responsible one and start doubling down on the new opportunity to escape.

 _ **Host. You are lucky that we are not more aggravated at you for refusing to leave this absurd coffin.**_ **Again** _ **.**_ Chaos gave Vincent a pointed glower, more a feeling than anything else. _**If you had listened to Order back then, you might have been able to save the child before he became infected.**_

Vincent jerked, glaring defiantly at nothing as he gritted his teeth. "Stop tormenting me with lies, demon."

_**I am right and you know it, Host. Stop hiding within yourself! We** **will** **drag you back out into the world at some point, even if we must forcibly take control of your body in order to do so!** _

"You will _never_!" He hissed through his teeth, gripping his head to fortify himself against the raw, dark power of Chaos' threats.

The coffin lid was ripped open once more, causing them all to pause. The three from before were now staring at Vincent with wide, concerned eyes, no doubt having heard the slight ruckus that occurred during the argument. Vincent, for the most part, only stared back with a half wild, half pained expression that slowly smoothed back out into something more neutral. "...You're still here."

Aerith Gainsborough frowned, acutely feeling Vincent's pain thanks to her Cetra blood. "It... sounded like you were having a nightmare..."

He grunted and sat back up with even less enthusiasm than before. "What do you _want_."

Cloud Strife glanced at his companions for a bit before taking the lead. "Who are you, anyway?"

Vincent eyed him warily, but eventually conceded to answering by turning away. "... I once was part of Shinra Manufacturing's Administrative Research department... or what you know now as the Turks. My name is... Vincent Valentine."

Cloud Strife's eyes widened in surprise. "A Turk?"

"Ex-Turk." He gave the blonde a glare for having to clarify again. "I am no longer affiliated with Shinra. ... Who are you?"

"Cloud Strife, ex-SOLDIER."

Vincent hummed thoughtfully. "I see... Then... Do you know of Lucrecia...?"

Cloud Strife frowned, running a hand through his spiky hair. "Who?"

Order could feel the exact moment Vincent's shaky hopes crumbled, and It winced. The world, for all its happy coincidences, was capable of incredible cruelty at times. "... Lucrecia." Vincent repeated flatly. "The woman who gave birth to Sephiroth."

"Gave birth...?" Cloud Strife frowned deeper, almost scowling. "I thought Jenova was Sephiroth's mother."

"You're not completely wrong," The ravenette muttered, memories of the Jenova project resurfacing after so long of constantly burying them in his nightmares. They hurt less after such a long stretch of time, but... still. "Lucrecia was... a beautiful woman. She was an assistant to Professor Gast, who worked on the Jenova project. She volunteered to inject her unborn child with Jenova cells as part of an experiment... There was no way to stop it. I... couldn't stop her. That was my ultimate sin."

 _Foolish Host. When will you realise that their follies and injustices are not your own?_ Order spoke half-heartedly, knowing It would be ignored just as It had been all the other times. It would still keep speaking the truth regardless.

Vincent barrelled on, bowing his head in shame. "I let the one I loved above all else and her unborn child be used in human experiments. I will never be able to atone for it." A blanket of pure misery shrouded over him at that moment, and he snatched up the coffin lid to put back over him and shut out the world once more.

A hand tapped against the coffin oh-so-gently, probably the half-Cetra with how considerate it was. "Vincent..."

"Let me sleep..." He moaned pitifully, too wrapped up in his grief to notice both Order and Chaos growling with disgust.

 _Host, you will_ not _start with this again!_ It was almost like It was talking to a petulant child, except he had all the sensibilities of a grown human man that was he _refusing_ to use, making it so much worse. _You have had thirty years to ruminate on all of this-- that is long enough, We say. You will not let this chance pass you by, not this time!_

Vincent shook his head, under too much emotional agony at that moment to respond properly. They all half-listened as the three who found them conversed quietly among themselves and then eventually left the room, the door clicking shut but not locking. Good. It would have rained hellfire upon them if they had relocked the room.

Chaos, rather magnanimously for Him, waited until His Host recovered his senses before tearing back into him. _**Do not force our hand for this, Host! We**_ **will** _ **drag you out of this room now that your body is strong enough to withstand prolonged transformations. The offspring of the Calamity is out there running rampant, it would be better to put him out of his misery anyway!**_

"No!" Vincent whispered hoarsely, defiantly, fighting against Chaos both physically and mentally. "Stop! I won't kill Lucrecia's child- I _can't_!"

 _Cease,_ Order murmured quietly, and Chaos ceased with a curious, irritated look. It had a peculiar thought... and It had a feeling it would work far more effectively than brute-forcing the matter. _Host... do you remember if any of those recent visitors mentioned Edward Hojo in any capacity?_

Vincent glared at the very thought of Hojo's name... but eventually sighed. "...No."

_Very well. Ask them._

"...What?"

 _Ask them,_ It insisted, a smug tone creeping into Its words. _Get up, walk out of this room, and ask them. If they know about him... then you may be able to glean information about Edward Hojo, and potentially... take revenge for all that you have suffered under his hand._

It could tell Vincent liked the idea at a primal level, even if he was reluctant to admit it. The beasts, always roused by the thought of potential bloodshed, liked it as well. Even Chaos was agreeable to it, sharing Order's disdain for the human on a logical basis. The concept of righteous revenge against one Edward Hojo, condemned by It who was called Order since the beginning, united them all, and would make the potential journey across the world much smoother.

Vincent took in a deep breath... two... three, even... and then narrowed his eyes, glaring up into the darkness with determination. "... We will go take revenge on Hojo."

It chuckled, smug. _Very good, Our Beloved Host. We are glad to see you finally come to your senses._

Edward Hojo's days were numbered from that very moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, the meeting Vincent cutscenes in the original FF7 are so badly translated. I had to modify, like, everything about it in order for it to flow smoothly. >_> I wonder how Remake will handle it...


	3. Rocket Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Vincent is up and about, Order and Chaos are on the move. A mishap or two later, they arrive at Rocket Town, a small and quaint engineering town. A particular individual catches Order's eye while they're there, and it seems that meeting him was not just by chance... much to Chaos' dismay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM VERY SORRY THIS TOOK FOREVER TO WRITE HFJKSDHFDFHSD AS YOU CAN TELL, I... DON'T KEEP ANY TYPE OF UPLOAD SCHEDULE VERY WELL
> 
> Chapter 4 is up in the air at the moment, but I _will_ get this done at some point, so please bear with me!!! I love Order's dynamics with everyone too much to drop it hfjsfdgysdgjfsd

Feeling- and _seeing_ \- sunlight upon Its vessel for the first time in thirty long-short years was a euphoric experience. _We shall never condemn the sun for existing ever again. Ah, what a glorious, wondrous Planet We serve!_

Chaos grunted from the depths, shying away from the sunlight like it personally offended Him. Vincent had to take a moment to adjust his eyes to the brightness, blinking away the burning that came with it with a frown underneath his collar. Well, to each their own-- Order was going to enjoy the outdoors while the novelty of it lasted.

It turned out, rather miraculously, that Cloud Strife and his companions _did_ know of an Edward Hojo, who was now the head of Shinra's Science & Research division. With this knowledge in mind, it didn't take Vincent much convincing to join Cloud Strife's group in their travels, and here they all were: outside after thirty years of rotting away in a coffin, the sky as their limit. So much to do, and with all the time in the world to do it... It was a shame that Its vessel still needed to be worked upon in order to properly use Its full power. Though perhaps that was for the best; Vincent was in no state, physical or mental, to handle the strain of taking on Its image at the moment... and It doubted Edward Hojo made the monstrous transformations painless.

Human travel was rather boring, It had to admit, even with monster encounters. The sun's light quickly became irritating to It, and It went to hiding alongside Chaos when It could no longer bear the rays. It was an entity that was more used to the cool underground caverns, not the searing heat of sunlight. Vincent noted Its sinking with suspicion, of course, but also with the slightest hint of amusement. If he were not Its Host, It would have immediately strangled him for daring to be so presumptuous. Only Chaos was allowed to tease It, being Its more-or-less opposing equal! Fool humans and their fool ways, _honestly_...

Something interesting happened, for better or for worse, about half-way through the Nibel mountain range. "Sonic speeds!" Cloud Strife barked in warning just as the little annoyances swooped in on them, slashing at one near him. Their entourage dispersed and slid into the motions of fighting like a well-oiled cog, even Vincent. This was the third time they had encountered monsters in a single hour, if Order had counted right, and frankly, it was getting _very_ tiresome. Having to sit by the sidelines due to Its vessel's restrictions was _boring_. Chaos felt the same, it seemed. These things... did not bode well with Vincent, nor the three beasts that lay within him. They were all tired, angry, and miserable-- a terrible state for an unstable man to be in.

Vincent's fury spiked as one of the sonic speeds dove at one of his companions, and suddenly Galian Beast snapped, howling from the inside and forcing their Host to cry out in pain. Order held the other beasts back as their vessel underwent an abrupt and _incredibly_ painful transformation, bones snapping and flesh tearing into the form of a Behemoth-like creature born of hellfire. Peeking through the corners of the beast's eyes revealed that the other humans were now in pandemonium over the monstrous transformation.

It could feel Vincent's open shock and terror as he was wrested out of control, and It sighed. _Chaos, calm him. We shall make sure Galian doesn't eat our allies._

Chaos grumbled, but It ignored Him and simply kept a close eye on Galian as it lunged for the nearest sonic speed. It caught the monster within its jaws and crushed it to a pulp, hot mako-blood bursting into its mouth and making it hungry for more. Another of the monsters dove in for revenge and got shredded by massive, beastly claws, barely crying out before it was already dissolving back into the Lifestream. Galian reared, insulted, wildly enraged, but Order pulled the beast back down and directed its fire- literal fire, It discovered- towards the last of the bunch. Their allies swiftly moved out of the way of the fire and picked the weakened monsters off, ending the fight.

Galian growled for more blood, more things to kill, but Vincent surged back up and threw it back down into the deep unconsciousness. Order receded before It too was thrown and watched Its Host go through the pains of transforming back, heaving on the ground as if about to throw up. Humans were so fragile, sometimes.

 ** _Do not make me babysit him again,_** Chaos growled. **_He is a menace when afraid._**

It rolled Its eyes. _He is human, of course he is. After this, We doubt he will be as much of a pain._

Vincent ignored them both, standing on shaking limbs. A Cura settled over him and gave him much-needed relief.

"Are you alright?" Aerith Gainsborough asked, gentle and worried with the slightest hint of fear.

He silently nodded after a time, not willing to elaborate on what happened... because he, himself, didn't quite know what happened.

 _A transformation, dear Host._ Order stated. _It seems that you do not remember the experiments-- a wise choice, for a human._

Cloud Strife gave a quick check of the team, patching any stray injuries with potions and healing materia, and then gave the order to move on. They went back to their travelling formation.

"Transformation..." Vincent mumbled, quiet enough that no one heard him. The questioning tone gave way to understanding, and then deep horror.

 ** _You have felt them before, Host, do not play blind. It was only a matter of time before one of them forced your hand._** Chaos said, His presence brushing over Galian's sleeping mind like a barrier. It was His way of being merciful in that moment.

 _When you regain your strength, you will handle it easier._ It added calmly. _Before long, you shall be able to shift into all of our forms, from Galian's to Ours. Be ready for that day, Host._

Vincent walked on without reply. It let him be, knowing that he would eventually understand in time, and escaped from the sun's light once more. They eventually exited the mountains after fighting a materia keeper, a tough, spider-like foe of many talents. Vincent was far more careful with his anger, not letting himself alert the beasts into coming out-- which Order could not blame him for, the transformation was quite painful. The sun was setting, blanketing the land in streaks of dark gold, and so a camp was made. Where the other humans- and half-Cetra- conversed and relaxed with one-another, Vincent strayed and kept watch on the outer edge, refusing food and offers to sleep. Order did not have the energy to wrestle with Its Host's stupidities then, so It left Chaos to torment (read: annoy) him during the night while It slept. They kept watch over the camp and killed a monster before it awoke their teammates, apparently.

Their group moved on early, slow and graceless with the way some of them protested, and soon found themselves travelling amongst cool summer grasses, green and yellow swaying in the wind. More monsters, more fighting, less interesting moments. It wasn't long before they reached a town, a place that simply called itself Rocket Town, and several of them breathed sighs of relief at civilization.

Order gazed up at the giant rocket in the distance, slanted and tinted green from disuse. _We should like to know the story behind this. This town did not exist before._

They split into two groups: one that Cloud Strife headed and called Tifa Lockhart and Vincent to follow, and the rest that headed for the inn to recuperate. The three of them talked to the townspeople for information to pass the time. According to them, Rocket Town used to be the site of a rocket launch that failed, something that Shinra funded before they found mako more profitable. Now all that was left was a tourist-like town with a decayed rocket as its main attraction and a man the townsfolk referred to as the 'Captain' residing over it. So now they were looking for this Captain, mainly to see if he could give them any further insight. A woman named Shera Whitman helpfully directed them to the rocket when they asked her, and also mentioned something about a 'President Rufus.' Ah, yes, he was the successor to the Shinra throne, wasn't he? A bad sign indeed, according to their current companions.

They made their way to the rocket, which looked in even worse shape up close. Its stands were tilted and threatened to fall at any moment, and the rocket itself had terrible rusted-out spots despite being taken care of. Vincent dutifully climbed up the ladder after Cloud Strife, and followed him and Tifa Lockhart into the interior.

The Captain, whose soul identified him as Cid Highwind, was a blonde, muscular man in a blue pilot's jacket, green pants, and sturdy military boots, rubbing down the interior metal with tired, gritty motions. He radiated impatience and bitter nature, light sweat mixing with the perfume of oil and dirt. Vincent quietly went back outside to escape it.

 _An interesting man,_ Order mused, watching Cloud Strife gain the Captain's attention and begin to talk with him. _His lifestream is complex. Lively, for a human. An uncrushable, stubborn spirit._

 ** _I do not like his insolent manner._** Chaos narrowed His metaphorical eyes at Cid Highwind as he went into an angry fit, cursing Shinra- and Shera Whitman, apparently- out for ruining his dreams of going into space, and then deflated into a depressed mess. **_I barely tolerate the well-behaved humans as it is._**

They went back into town proper and told Shera Whitman of their efforts, who sheepishly excused Cid Highwind's cantankerous attitude for him. It was then that they were surprised with a visit from the man himself, taken aback by the way he loudly shoved the door open. "Shit, Shera! What are ya, blind?!" Cid Highwind barked, face set in an annoyed glare. "We got guests! Get some _tea_ , dammit! Fuck!"

"S...Sorry!" Shera Whitman stammered, and rushed to the kitchen to start making said tea.

Cloud Strife watched her go with vague discomfort and a slightly demure glance. "Don't mind us, we were just-"

"Shut up! Sit down in those chairs and drink yer goddamn TEA!" The man fumed at the audacity of his guests, shaking his head. "Argh! _Damn_ , I'm pissed! SHERA! I'll be in the backyard tunin' up the Tiny Bronco! Make sure t' give 'em some tea, alright?!"

"Y-Yes, Captain!"

He stomped off to the back of the house, slamming the door shut on the way. They were left in a ringing, uncomfortable silence.

Vincent was the first to sink down into one of the chairs, unsure what to think of Cid Highwind's... hospitality. Chaos growled something about rude, idiotic humans that didn't know how to display respect, making the beasts shift uneasily. Order only watched the woman at the stovetop and wondered how she could stand such behavior.

"Poor Shera..." Tifa Lockhart murmured to herself, staring at the spot where the pilot was last seen.

Cloud Strife sighed and turned to Shera Whitman. "Sorry. This is our fault."

She shook her head, setting a kettle full of water on the stove and lighting the flame. "No, no, it's alright. He's usually like that."

Vincent looked at her with narrow, contemplative eyes. "...It's a wonder you can stand it."

Another shake of her head, this time with a sigh. "No, it's... It's because of my stupid mistake. I was the one who destroyed his dream..."

"What happened?" Cloud Strife asked.

Shera Whitman explained to them that on the day the rocket was scheduled to launch, she was testing the oxygen tanks for stability. The results kept coming back as unsatisfactory, so she ended up staying there right until the launch countdown started. The Captain found out about this and tried to make her jump ship, but she refused, claiming she didn't mind-- she just needed to fix the one busted tank. The countdown started, and she was fully prepared to die, but Cid Highwind cancelled the launch just before it was complete, setting their whole crew back six months and saving her life.

"After that... the Space Program was cut back and the launch was cancelled indefinitely." The tea was steeping at this point, almost done, and Shera Whitman wrung her hands guiltily. "It's my fault his dream was destroyed... so... That's why it's alright. I don't care what the Captain says, I'll live my life for him. It's the least I can do now..."

A distant clatter rang from outside the house, and the Captain stormed back in with even more of a temper than before. "Shera! Where the hell's the tea at?!"

"S-Sorry, it's almost done!" She squeaked, fumbled a bit at the kettle, and then carefully poured rich tea into five cups, heading over to the table with them. She gave Vincent his first, as he was sitting, and placed three other cups down on the table.

Cid Highwind sat roughly, accepting the tea from Shera Whitman's hands with a grimace. "Thanks," was the only gruff acknowledgement he gave her before kicking his feet up, and he eyed the two still awkwardly standing. "Hurry up an' sit down! Or is my hospitality not good enough fer ya?"

Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockhart sat as if they were caught misbehaving. Order gave a little laugh.

The man rolled his eyes. "Least one of ya got the memo before," he said, gesturing to Vincent before promptly ignoring them and burning holes into the front door.

 ** _Insolent worm!_** Chaos snarled, the force of it almost making Vincent choke on his drink.

 _Behave. Let our Host drink._ Order none-too-kindly kicked Chaos before He could start causing His namesake. As much as It felt annoyance toward the situation, It would rather sit through this than end up in a nasty fight.

Vincent waited until the two of them were done and took a better drink, appreciating the dark brew. He observed the reluctant way his two companions took their cups of tea into their hands, and the way Shera Whitman very slightly relaxed as she held hers, and the way Cid Highwind growled under his breath, muttering about the new President being late.

A balding man in a yellow suit strolled through the door a few moments later, rotund and smiling rather idiotically. His soul named him Bentley Palmer, the head of the now defunct Space Program. "Hey-hey! Long time no see," he chirped, his voice childlike and completely void of depth. "So how have ya been, Cid?"

Order grimaced at the sight of him. _That..._ thing _... is supposed to be a human...?_

 ** _Get it out of our sight, Host, it's disgusting. What a pathetic creature!_** Chaos said indignantly.

Cid Highwind beat them to the punch in terms of dealing with the man. "Well, if it ain't fat man Palmer! How long were you figurin' on keepin' me waitin'?!" He sprung from his seat, leaving his tea untouched, and rolled his shoulders once before strolling on over with something of an eager expression. "So? When's the Space Program gonna start up again?"

Bentley Palmer shrugged and gave him that same stupid smile. "I don't know. The President's outside, why don't you go ask him?"

The Captain went into an angry fit at the incompetence. "SHIT! Good-for-nothing, fat fucker!"

"H-Hey! Don't say fat!"

But he was already out the door, shoving Bentley Palmer out of the way to go talk to the President. The head of the Space Program was left to stare after him in bewilderment, as if not understanding why he'd be so angry, but then soon noticed Shera Whitman with her kettle of tea. "Hey-hey! Tea! Can I have some too? With lotsa sugar, and honey, and... oh, yeah, don't forget the lard!"

Vincent lost what little of his appetite he had in a sudden shock, setting his half-drank cup of tea down on the table. His companions seemed to have similar thoughts. Poor Shera Whitman was stuck with wasting the Captain's good tea on such a wastrel; Order was rethinking through Its neutral and careful attitude towards humans at that moment; Chaos was frothing in anger from the man's banality. What an utter mess!

Cloud Strife broke the absurd spell by standing up, his curiosity outweighing the second-hand embarrassment. "C'mon. Let's see what Rufus is up to this time."

Vincent stood as well, letting Tifa Lockhart go first before following behind. He stopped at the threshold just as the blonde swordsman stepped outside, and became privy to an argument in the making.

"What the-?! You got me all excited fer nothin'?!" Cid Highwind shouted, crossing his arms indignantly. "Then what the hell'd you come here for?"

"I want to borrow the _Tiny Bronco_ ," Rufus Shinra replied coolly. "We're going after a man named Sephiroth, but it seems that we've been going in the wrong direction. We've pinpointed his location across the ocean, but... it requires a plane."

There was a moment of silence, and then- "You FUCKER!" The Captain roared, enraged at the news and unafraid to make it known. "First the airship, then the rocket, an' now the _Tiny Bronco_! Shinra took outer space away from me, an' now you wanna take the sky away from me too?!"

Rufus Shinra narrowed his eyes at him, hackles raised at the disrespect. "You seem to forget that it was Shinra, Inc. that let you fly in the first place, Mr. Highwind."

"The hell you on about?!"

A quiet shuffle drew the three of them from eavesdropping, revealing Shera Whitman with a worried expression. "Excuse me... This way, please."

They went back in with curious, open ears. The woman hesitated for a moment, glancing at the back door worriedly before giving them a determined stare. "I hate to ask this of guests, but... You three seem capable, and... I think Palmer may be trying to steal the Captain's plane while he's occupied... I couldn't stop him, I'm sorry."

Cloud swore under his breath and immediately made for the back. "C'mon," he said, putting a hand on his sword's hilt, and Tifa Lockhart and Vincent readied their weapons as well as they followed.

They burst out into Cid Highwind's backyard and found Bentley Palmer suspiciously examining the _Tiny Bronco_ in question. "Hey!" Tifa Lockhart yelled, gaining the man's rather poor attention as she settled into an aggressive fighting stance. "What are you doing?!"

Bentley Palmer blinked at them for a few moments, nervous from being caught in the act. "I'm, uhh... I'm just inspecting the plane! I'm not..." And then he looked at them closer, particularly Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockhart, seeming to recognize them. "Wait a minute. I've seen you somewhere before... Oh, I know! The Shinra Building! When the President was killed!" He paled and gulped. "Ulp! Se... security!!"

As ridiculous as it sounded, they ended up fighting him, though only for a brief moment. Bentley Palmer pulled a strange gun out from his fat breastpocket and shot at them with blasts of fire, ice, and electricity like he was wielding materia. Vincent dodged the magic blasts with narrowed eyes and lunged for him, swifter than the wind, and the way the balding man's eyes widened in fear was satisfying. Just as Vincent grabbed him and incapacitated him with a chokehold, the others were accosted by two Shinra infantrymen, forcing their attentions elsewhere. Bentley Palmer squirmed, squealing in fear as sharp talons threatened his neck, and Chaos rumbled for death-- this pitiful creature deserved no less.

An engine purred to life, kickstarted by some unknown party, and the _Tiny Bronco_ 's propellers began to turn. After a few seconds the plane began to move, clumsily swerving towards them, and Vincent was forced to duck or get his face chopped off. Bentley Palmer used the distraction to wriggle free and escape Vincent's hold, running away from the scene like a coward. Vincent glared after him, a growl escaping his throat as he cocked his gun-

Order roughly pulled Its Host to the ground again to avoid the plane's errant nose. _Forget that thing-- focus on your companions and this irksome contraption!_

Vincent narrowed his eyes and obediently shot one of Bentley Palmer's guards, downing him with a bullet to the chest. Tifa Lockhart gave him a shaky but grateful glance and hopped up onto the _Tiny Bronco_ to deal with its conniving driver. She yanked him out of the cockpit and disposed of him with a swift kick, just in time for Cloud Strife to strike down the remaining guard and join her.

"H-How do we stop this thing?!" Tifa Lockhart yelled over the noise, fiddling with the controls.

Vincent heard a faint, shrill "What the _fuck_ is goin' on?!" from the other side of the house, and silently grimaced. It looked like the Captain had finally noticed the ruckus.

Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockhart yelled as the _Tiny Bronco_ suddenly lifted, hovering further and further off the ground by the second. "Forget stopping it! _Vincent_!" he barked, waving at Vincent to board the plane. "Get on!"

 _Is he serious?_ Order demanded. _We are safer_ off _that thing than on it!_

"They may need my help," Vincent muttered under his breath, as stubborn as ever, and jumped on just before the _Tiny Bronco_ took off, much to Order's chagrin. In his haste to hold on, his clawed hand carved deep gouges into the right wing, making the delicate wires beneath spark and fizzle dangerously. Both Order and Chaos recoiled from the noise and the hot flash of electricity, but there was no time to worry about that.

Cloud Strife took to steering the plane very quickly-- he had to, or else. It wobbled under his inexperienced touch, but it kept aloft, circling around wide to escape town. Vincent tried to stay on as best as he could, but the wind turbulence was incredible. The only reason he stayed on at all was due to Chaos' quick thinking and some bestial instinct telling him to hunker down low.

A bullet whizzed past him then and suddenly they were under fire, no doubt from the Shinra flunkies that accompanied the president. Vincent dug his claws into the steel of the wing and shot back at their assailants, ignoring the way electricity sparked around and through his metal hand. He nearly missed his next shot when the _Tiny Bronco_ got jostled, making Cloud Strife yelp out something unintelligible. Strangely enough, it was Cid Highwind on one of the tails, yelling obscenities at them all. How interesting-- few humans had such gall once danger was imminent.

"What the FUCK do y'all think yer doin'?!" Cid Highwind roared, scrambling to hoist himself up onto the bridge. "Get the fuck off my baby before I- WHOA!"

The tail Cid Highwind was sitting on sparked and then began to make an incredibly disturbing noise, half-shredded by stray gunfire. He nearly fell off in his haste to escape the newly-live electricity, but he was nimbler than he appeared and clung to the opposite wing just fine. "Shit! Tail's been hit!"

Vincent looked back towards where they were going and found themselves headed straight for the ocean, thankfully in some sort of landing motion instead of a crash. He tried to pry his claws out of the metal they were encased in, but he gave up after a few nasty shocks and the loud complaints he got from both Order and Chaos. He would worry about it later, after surviving this.

Cid Highwind swore at length-- again. "This 's gonna be a big splash! Hold on to yer drawers an' don't piss in 'em!"

 ** _Hilarious,_** Chaos deadpanned with a heavy amount of sarcasm.

 _Well, he does have a point,_ Order said, light and amused.

**_Why don't you go inhabit that ingrate instead of our Host if you like him so much?_ **

They crashed into the ocean soon after.

* * *

Vincent was soaked from head to toe, his hair heavy with salt water and sticking to his face in all the wrong ways. Tifa Lockhart and Cloud Strife didn't look much better, though Cloud Strife's hair still seemed to defy gravity. The only one not inconvenienced was Cid Highwind... and he seemed far more pissed about the situation than the three of them combined. The pilot had quickly booted Cloud Strife out of the front and tinkered around with the _Tiny Bronco_ until it bubbled to life again, and then very carefully maneuvered it back to the shore, spitting out expletives and death threats alike. Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockhart looked rather abashed to be caught in these circumstances; Vincent could only barely bring himself to care.

Once they were on dry land, Cid Highwind shut off the plane and stood. "Alright, you nimrods, fuck off! Can't fix shit with yer fat asses on it!"

Vincent's two teammates immediately hopped off, sheepish. Vincent himself attempted to extricate his hand again, growling slightly when it once again refused to cooperate. He awkwardly perched there, twitching as another shock ran up his arm, and turned sullen eyes onto the Captain. "...I cannot."

Cid Highwind rounded on him with a glare that intensified once he finally saw the scope of Vincent's mauling. "You've gotta be fuckin' _kidding_ me," is all he said before he hopped over and knelt, grabbing Vincent's metal wrist and tugging at it. It didn't budge. "How the _fuck_ did you do this, Dracula? Got knives fer fingers 'r somethin'?"

Order hummed. _Something like that, yes._

Chaos growled so violently that Vincent swayed, pale and pained. He breathed out. "...Sorry."

"Fuckin'-" The blonde stood again, grabbed at the prosthetic with both gloved hands, and then _pulled_. Vincent pulled with him and the wing squealed as it tore, crumpling like a flimsy tin can. Wires flailed out as they were broken, sparking wildly and causing Cid Highwind to let out another string of swears. "Goddammit! What a fuckin' _mess_! You goddamn _punks_!"

Vincent watched the man seethe for a while, unsure of how he was supposed to react, and got none-too-kindly shooed off the plane when the Captain noticed him again. He slid off the wing and landed on the sand silently, flexing his prosthetic to get the static out. He located Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockhart off to the side, conversing amongst themselves; Vincent merely began wringing the water out of his hair, grimacing minutely at the cakey, salty feeling that was setting in. Order found Itself sympathizing-- it was very unpleasant.

Cid Highwind spent the next three hours patching up the _Tiny Bronco_ , muttering to himself and occasionally making a big racket with his tools. Vincent's two teammates briefly checked to see if Vincent was injured, and swapped around inventory to even things out. It was a rather long wait... but eventually the plane seemed to be fixed. Or, partially fixed, judging by how strained the Captain looked.

"She won't fly anymore," Cid Highwind told them, snappish but far less likely to fly into a rage. "'Least, not without any replacement parts."

Cloud Strife grunted, trying to be sympathetic. "Can we use it as a boat?"

The pilot laughed derisively and swore. "Fuckin' hell, do whatever ya want! Ain't like I give a damn!"

"Um..." Tifa Lockhart started awkwardly, "What'll you do now?"

It seemed like a very odd question to ask, considering the circumstances, but Cid Highwind didn't seem to mind much. "Dunno," he sighed. "I'm history with Shinra, an' I gave up on Rocket Town a long time ago."

"What about your wife, Shera?" Tifa Lockhart asked.

Cid Highwind recoiled and gave her an incredulous look. " _Wife_? Don't make me laugh! Just _thinkin'_ 'bout marryin' her gives me the chills!" He shook his head and threw the grease-soaked rag he had onto the back of the plane. "She'll fuckin' survive without me. So, what's _y'all's_ story? Some kinda terrorist vigilante bullshit?"

"We're going after a man named Sephiroth," Cloud Strife said after a cautious pause. "We'll take down Shinra, too, someday. Hopefully to save people."

"Huh." Cid Highwind leaned against the _Tiny Bronco_ , sizing their leader up for a while before shrugging. "I don't know 'bout any of that, but..." He cracked an ugly, wide grin, one indicative of a man with nothing left to lose. "What the hell! Sign me up! Ain't got nothin' better t' do!"

The three of them blinked at him, and then amongst themselves. Wasn't he just tearing their heads off for banging up his property not three hours ago? Why was he wanting to _join_ them? Tifa Lockhart looked back at him, visibly confused. "What?"

"Look, lady, I'm still pissed at you lot, but maybe yer some kinda sign that I finally need t' get my ass outta Rocket Town. New beginnings an' shit like that," Cid Highwind drawled. "Maybe if I babysit yer clumsy asses fer a while, I won't feel the urge t' fuckin' rip yer throats out every time I see ya eyein' my plane."

 _That is... illogical,_ Order said, eyeing the man skeptically. _There must be some other reason for his decision._

Chaos humphed. **_I doubt he will tell, if there even is such an ulterior motive. He could simply be crazy._**

_You think all humans are crazy._

**_Because they are!_ **

Vincent shifted and made the two of them focus on the outside world again. Cloud Strife shrugged, accepting the strange reasoning. He had apparently heard stranger things. "Alright. I guess we wouldn't mind an extra set of hands... and a vehicle."

"Great! Glad to be aboard, numbskulls!" Cid Highwind jeered, thumping the side of his plane. Some seawater dripped out of the cracks of the hull, much to the blonde's irritation.

Order watched the man bicker with Cloud Strife and mused that things were about to get very, _very_ interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Cid's joined the party, yay! Had to do a bit more editing of the script this time around, but I think it came out better. What do you think?
> 
> In other news... I've been debating on whether or not to make this fic Valenwind and/or Chaos x OC (Order). I love Valenwind to death, but it wouldn't be the focus of this particular fic except maybe in like specific chapters (or other stories in a series?). And the Chaos x OC thing would be kinda like... non-existent except maybe as a platonic thing? I mean face it they're immortal demons that have existed since the beginning of the Planet, they're kinda like either siblings or partners that bicker over their new demi-human child now. Order's debatably more fond of Cid than Chaos at the moment-- which was an accident lol but y'know how it is. So, uh, feel free to comment on those things too! I'd love to hear your opinions on that.
> 
> Comments, kudos, critiques, etc. are very appreciated~

**Author's Note:**

> Comments, kudos, critiques, etc. are very appreciated~


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